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Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Post Hunt - 2011

Two years ago we talked about participating in the wonderfully silly, chaotic, ingenious, and at times frustrating, Post Hunt. Hopefully, now that it is in its 4th year in DC, you've tried out the Hunt for yourself. After a year off to rest our brains and refine our strategy (really we were just out of town), J and I teamed up with good friends - both old and new - to once again race through the city streets debating the meaning of upside down lemons and how a port-a-potty was related to a Beatles cover band.

If the Post Hunt is something new to you, take a look at our previous post or the Washington Post's website for more details. The quick, quick version is that it is a wild 3 hour scavenger hunt in downtown that seems like it was created as a prank by some CIA code breaker on an acid trip. While it began in Miami, the quirky problem-solving nature of the game certainly feels like a very DC thing to do.

I'm thrilled to report that the Post Hunt seems to be rapidly growing in popularity and that the increased crowds (>10,000!) have not diminished the fun factor. In addition, participating in the Hunt reminds me that we live in a great city that is unique, not only because of its monuments and architecture, but also because of its culture that embraces the riddle-loving nerd in all of us.

I'm also proud to say that our team did very well. In what many called one of the hardest hunts ever (27 years of history going back to the Miami days), we got half way through the end game before a winner was announced. More importantly, we had a ton of fun and went home with more than our share of "what the heck were we thinking?" moments, which really sums up the day.

J Says

I'm the first to admit that I'm not a brain teaser kind of person (this must be true since this is how I began my part of the blog post 2 years ago!). I can tackle most crossword puzzles and absolutely dominate at Wheel of Fortune, but I just don't get excited about brain teasers. However, there's something about the Post Hunt that draws me in.

Maybe it's the phenomenal people watching. While the rest of my team was huddled close and dissecting the clues, my eyes kept wandering to the other teams and their walkie talkies, homemade shirts, and looks of frustration.

Maybe it's the addictive feeling you get when you finally crack the clues and figure out a puzzle.

Maybe it's just the chance to run around DC with your friends and act silly.

Whatever it is, even this brain teaser boobird will be scratching her head at the Post Hunt next year.

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